Please join me in sending a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Mediciad Services (CMS) expressing concerns with the Medicaid work requirement’s administrative burden. This misguided policy will allocate resources away from providing care to recipients
while simultaneously reducing the number of insured Americans. Furthermore, it goes against the federal Medicaid statue and circumvents Congressional intent.

It is a costly and burdensome policy which will harm low-income Americans. I hope you will join me in expressing these concerns to CMS and asking them to reconsider this rule. If you have any questions or would like to sign on, please contact Lauren Citron
in my office at Lauren.Citron@mail.house.gov.

Sincerely,

Steve Cohen
Member of Congress

January XX, 2018

The Honorable Seema Verma

Administrator

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

7500 Security Boulevard

Baltimore, MD 21244

Dear Administrator Verma,

We write to express our strong concern about the January 11, 2018 guidance issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that would allow states to impose work requirements for Medicaid beneficiaries. We believe this guidance goes not only
against federal Medicaid statute and circumvents long-standing Congressional intent, but it would add a costly administrative burden.

Independent analyses and Medicaid Health Plans of America have estimated that Medicaid work requirements will be a burden on states, further rationing already limited resources away from providing care to recipients.[1][2] While plans must not cost Medicaid
additional funding, work requirements are expected to increase administrative burdens and costs, while simultaneously resulting in fewer individuals with health insurance.

Additionally, current data suggests that the “great majority of adults covered by the Medicaid expansion are in ill health or are already working, in school, or looking for work.”[3] Health care is often necessary for low-income Americans to be able to find
and participate in work, and cutting off their health care is a counter-productive way to incentivize employment.[4]

We believe this rule will prove to be costly, burdensome and ultimately hurt low income Americans. The enforcement of this guidance rips health care away from individuals, hurting them when they are the most vulnerable. It does not make Medicaid more effective;
it makes it more cruel. Medicaid work requirements go against Congressional intent and the existing statue. They are the wrong way to proceed, and we urge you to reconsider this misguided policy.